HEALTHY LIVING RESOURCES WILL BENEFIT YOUNG STUDENTS

VANCOUVER – Elementary school teachers across the province will soon receive another resource to support young students develop knowledge and lifelong skills and help make healthy choices, announced Mary Polak, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport.

“The Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Learning Resource will help teachers support elementary students in making healthier choices throughout their life, whether they are at school, at home or with friends and family,” said Polak. “Teachers are in a unique position during a child’s life, and they play an important role in educating and inspiring their students in leading healthier lifestyles.”

Launched today at the Improving Learning, Health and Literacy conference in Vancouver, the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Learning resource is a grade-by-grade set of healthy eating and physical activity classroom-based lesson plans for B.C. teachers to use for students in kindergarten to Grade 7. There will be 3,200 copies for each grade distributed to teachers throughout the province.

The resource, supported by ActNow BC, includes lessons that help students plan age-appropriate healthy eating and physical activity goals to live healthier lives. Students are supported in learning what health practices they currently have and how to use these new skills in their daily lives.

“We are working together in government to improve the health of children throughout the province,” said Education Minister Shirley Bond. “Providing important resources like this will help ensure that all of our students are learning to make healthier choices that lead to better outcomes, both physically and academically.”

In October 2007, government released the learning resource for grades 8, 9 and 10, with more than 2,000 copies of each grade distributed throughout the province. Posted online at the Ministry of Education’s Healthy Schools website, the learning resource was developed by the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport in partnership with the Ministry of Education, with students, teachers and health professionals actively participating.

“I congratulate B.C. on releasing healthy school guides that will benefit students in kindergarten to Grade 7,” said Dr. Lawrence St. Leger of Australia, who has developed international guidelines for healthy schools and is a keynote speaker at the health and learning conference. “Research shows that promoting health and wellness in the classrooms improves learning outcomes as well as building protective health factors for students.”

The conference is being hosted by the Directorate of Agencies for School Health (DASH) and celebrates the progress made by B.C. schools that have been working to implement healthy school initiatives that make a positive impact on students’ academic achievement and their attitude towards school and learning.

Learning resources for kindergarten to Grade 7 will soon be available on the Ministry of Education’s website at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/health/active_living/physical_activity_learning.htm

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Media contact:	Anne McKinnon Communications Director Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport 250 952-2387

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